


jason is a she/they lesbian but like, the opposite way

by mahemma



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU
Genre: Latino Jason Todd, Nonbinary Jason Todd, Not Beta Read, a few lines of discussing underage prostitution and death, alfred and roy are mentioned, not a big plot point but just thought you should know, roy/jay if you squint?? up to interpretation, this is self indulgent as fuck
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-17
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-12 19:28:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29514615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mahemma/pseuds/mahemma
Summary: It felt like everyone around him was in on some big secret he didn’t know. Why did everyone care so much? How are they so sure they feel like a man or a woman? What does feeling like a man even mean? How do they just know?It made no sense to him.Jason had always considered himself a boy because that’s what he had been told. He has a penis, so he is a boy and should act like this and look like that and –
Comments: 2
Kudos: 28





	jason is a she/they lesbian but like, the opposite way

**Author's Note:**

> when youre so detached from your feelings the only way you can express them in words is via a hypothetical situation with your comfort character

For as long as he could remember, Jason was confused as to why people felt so strongly about their gender.

Everyone was so _adamant_ that they were a man, or a woman, or neither or both. Jason, unlike them, never gave much thought to how he felt beyond _having a dick is convenient_ and _I wish I could wear that without looking weird._

_(He didn’t want to talk about how often he thought about having boobs. But he still wanted his dick. He wanted both. Was that weird? Isn’t it supposed to be one or the other?)_

It felt like everyone around him was in on some big secret he didn’t know. Why did everyone care so much? How are they so _sure_ they feel like a man or a woman? What does feeling like a man even _mean?_ How do they just _know?_

It made no sense to him.

Jason had always considered himself a boy because that’s what he had been told. He has a penis, so he is a _boy_ and should _act like this_ and _look like that_ and –

When he was younger, he knew he was small and thin and pretty _(for a boy)_. It was a common occurrence for someone to call him _girl_ or _princess_ or _angel_. At a couple galas he even got _ma’am_ and _miss._ He was pretty androgynous, even for a kid.

_(No one knew how pleased he was when someone got it wrong. He even started to look forward to it.)_

He knew there wasn’t anything _wrong_ with liking it when people got it wrong. In all honesty, it was pretty funny when it happened. The perpetrators always got overly embarrassed and apologized profusely, like it was a horrible mistake _(sometimes he purposely tried to make people get it wrong)_.

It was even better when he became Robin. Though he could admit Dick’s choice of leotard made it easier to move, Jason knew better than to run around the underbelly of Gotham in what was essentially underwear and a cape. He asked Alfred to add something breathable but heavy, something that wouldn’t hug his legs but also wouldn’t fly around and get in the way _(if it ended up looking like a heavy skirt coming just above his knees, Alfred never said anything)._

Bruce had stilled when he first saw the addition to the uniform. He stared for a second, face expressionless, before turning towards the Batmobile without a word.

He didn’t say anything until later that night. It was Jason’s first night out, so Bruce made him stick to the rooftops and watch from afar.

Jason sighed, watching Bruce (Batman!! He’s working with Batman!) punch a would-be rapist in the face for the third time. There were a lot of hookers in the area, and, unfortunately, that attracted a lot of creeps who thought prostitutes couldn’t say no. The hookers – mostly women, but there some men (there were some who were obviously too young, but they hid as soon as word of Batman being close by got to them) – were always grateful. They thanked Bruce, some hugging him, and some even offered him _a discount just for you, babe._

Bruce’s obvious discomfort at the displays of emotion and propositions made Jason grin.

Before long, all the crimes in the immediate area were taken care of. Bruce swiftly climbed to the roof where Jason was watching, blending into the shadows.

Bruce broke the silence.

“Your uniform is – nice,” he grunted, crouched on the edge of the roof and facing away from him.

Jason froze before smiling. “Thanks.”

“If you want,” Bruce muttered grimly, “we can order a female uniform for school.”

Jason grinned, his eyes crinkling. “That sounds awesome.” He walked over to stand next to Bruce. Even crouched down, Jason was barely taller than him.

“Seriously, thanks,” he whispered, leaning against the dark figure next to them.

They stayed like that for a long time.

Then, two years and so much anger _(so much acceptance, love, why did he have to mess it up?)_ later, Jason died, suffocating and alone.

Now, so much older and wearier and _angrier (he didn’t know he could be angrier),_ there was no mistaking it. Jason had grown and gotten taller and filled out to where he was almost as big as Bruce. No longer was he a kid of indeterminate gender. Instead, he was a huge, hulking _man._ His voice was deep, he started growing stubble, and his hands and feet were almost comically large _(he couldn’t look forward to anyone getting it wrong again)._

Fortunately, he also grew to not give that much of a shit what people thought of him.

Whenever criminals who hadn’t heard of Red Hood saw him, they laughed. Why was this huge man running around in a skirt and leggings? _(They shut up once they saw his guns.)_

The leggings were thick and black, meant to keep him warm without overheating him. His skirt was black, pleated, almost knee length, and had numerous pockets and pouches along the belt. The sides were weighted to his leggings via magnets, but the rest was left free. It was deceptively soft, the material flowing while being strong enough to hold against a gun from a distance.

(There was a thigh holster on each leg carefully hidden by the pleated design, courtesy of one of Roy’s more inspired ideas.)

He regularly switched between the skirt and hardy cargo pants. Generally, he preferred skirts, but resorted to pants when necessary. Clothes didn’t tend to last long when one was regularly shot at, after all. At least Roy had a blast sewing him a ton of different types of skirts _(sometimes he even pulled out a dress or two for Jason to try)_.

Tonight was a skirt night. He was sailing across rooftops, enjoying the feeling of the skirt in the breeze, when a scream pierced through the relative (for Gotham, anyway) silence.

Pulling out his grapple gun, Jason quickly made his way to the source of the scream.

In an alley in the red-light district, a group of half a dozen men surrounded two women. The source of the scream was the smaller woman, who had been grabbed by her hair and pushed against the ground. The man holding her down was laughing while he ground her face into the concrete.

The other woman, sporting a red crop top, was brandishing a taser, sparks flying off it whenever someone walked towards her.

Jason was quick to pull out his gun and shoot the man on top of the woman. He pulled off and screamed, clutching his arm as blood flowed out of it. The woman, now free, scrambled away from him. He absently admired her large… Superman and Batman earrings? Holy shit, he hoped it was meant to be gay.

Hearing their buddy scream made the rest turn around. They all blanched at the sight of Jason in full Red Hood gear, his expressionless helmet intimidating _(they didn't see his eyeliner underneath)_ and the red bat on his chest prominent. Most of them turned tail and ran, but the taller woman managed to get one with her taser. Jason shot the ones that were running in the legs before turning to the women.

Crop Top was comforting Earrings, who seemed to be fine aside from a large scrape on her face. They both looked up when Jason walked over, and Crop Top stood up and grabbed his hand.

“Thank you so much, honey. Without you…” She trailed off. Her companion nodded frantically, her hands and arms gesturing wildly.

“It’s no problem,” he waved them off. “Pieces of shit like that shouldn’t be allowed outside. Hey, are you deaf? I know sign, so if you need it I can sign.” He let go of Crop Top’s hand and repeated the last of his words in sign.

 _No, I can hear,_ she signed back, a wide smile growing on her face. _I don’t like talking._

“Under-fucking-standable,” Jason laughed.

“Your skirt is real cute, honey. Where’d ya get it from?” The taller woman asked, her thick lips painted a shimmering blue.

He holstered his gun. “Arsenal. He likes to sew and shit, and is always looking for something more creative to make besides sleeveless armor and cargo pants.”

“What’re your pronouns?”

“Oh,” He blinked. “Uh, I mean, I’ve never thought about it super hard. I guess he/him? I wouldn’t say I feel like a _man_ , but I wouldn’t say I _don’t_ either. Shit. Can androgynous be a gender? … wouldn’t that be they/them? I don’t really think that’s right? Can you be he/him _and_ they/them?” Jason looked desperately between the two women. They both smirked at him, clearly amused at his rambling. “… he/they, then. My pronouns are he/they.”

They all laughed, Jason a bit more awkwardly.

“It’s fine, honey, you don’t have to worry about it so hard.”

 _Gender is confusing and dumb_ , Earrings smiled, dimples on display.

“Fuck yeah it is, Earrings. Anyway,” he pulled out his grapple gun, “unless you guys need an escort I’m going to go.”

They both shook their heads and waved him off.

“Be safe!” Jason called as they grappled away.

Making his way onto the rooftops, they got ready to continue their patrol.

“… Hood, you realize we all love and accept you no matter what, right?” A voice echoed through his helmet.

He froze. Their comm was on. _Oh well, fuck it_.

“Hell yeah, Goldie, it’s why I never said anything. You guys would go overboard to make sure I know. Plus, it’s none of your fucking business unless I say otherwise.”

“Preach.” Multiple voices called out.

They smiled.

Even if he still didn’t quite understand everything, Jason’s glad that their free to be themself.

**Author's Note:**

> to clarify, my pronouns are she/they and i based a lot of this off of my own experiences, though i do imagine she/theys and he/theys dont have the exact same experiences
> 
> also, did i write this in one sitting when i have multiple wips 3/4 of the way done that i havent touched in weeks???? ;)


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